Postage-stamp-affixing machine.



' J. P. GUMMINGS. POSTAGE STAMP .AFFIXING MACHINE.

, r l APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1910. I 986,047; Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

` I 4 mnmTs-srmm 1'.

w f f4 J. F. GUMMINGSl POSTAGE STAMP Arrlxme MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1910. 986,047. Patented M3127, 1911.

' 4 .SHEETS-SHEET 2.'

AJM/'7 Tamm/fa J. P. CUMMINGS.

POSTAGE STAMP APFIXING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED .TUNE 2, 1910.

Patented Mar. '7,' 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE lmms FErLn-s co., wAsHmcmrz, n. c.

J. P. GUMMINGS. POSTAGE STAMP Amxme MAGHINE. APPLICATION AFILED JUNE 2, 1910. 'I 986,()472V l Patented Mar.7, 1911.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

7H: Moslem PETERS co., wasHlNcToN, D. c.

JOI-IN F. CUMMINGS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

POSTAGE-STAM'P-AFEIXING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. June 2, 1910.

Patented Mar. *7, 1911.

Serial No. 564,665.

To al? whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, JOI-IN F. CUMMINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and- State of Ithode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Postage-Stamp-Aifxing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to postage stamp a'liixing machines and one of the principal objects of the same is to provide a machine of simple construction which will rapidly apply stamps to envelops or other mail matter and which will moisten the surface of the envelop for attaching the' stamp.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stamp afixing machine of simple construction which will operate smoothly and efficiently to quickly apply stamps to mail matter, said machine comprising` a gravity operated moistener for applying the required amount of water to the surface of the matter to be mailed and for automatically feeding the stamps to the surface and securing said stamps in place.

Another object of the invention is to providea feeding mechanism for ycarrying the stamps from the roll into' position for applying them to the mail matter, said feeding device being provided with pins for engaging the perforations which separate the stamps.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjusting device which will insure engagement of the pins with the perforations in the stamps.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a stamp aflixing member pivoted at one side of the gravity moistener, and a lever for depressing the stamp aiiXer, said lever having a rack pivoted thereto for en gaging a pinion upon the stamp feeding device, so that at each depression of the lever one stamp is fed in position for application to the mail matter, means being provided for preventing the retrograde movement of the feeding device.

These and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stamp aiixing machine madey in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates a suitable base having rubber feet or buffers 2 secured thereto. The casing 3 is Vpreferably made of a single piece of casting comprising two sides and one end, while the opposite end is open and adapted to be closed by a detachable door 4: having inwardly projecting lugs 5 secured to the casing by suitable screws 6. The base 1 is provided with parallel grooves 7, by means of which the parallel members of the frame, which supports the mechanism, may be slid in place and held rmlyto the base 1.

The frame for supporting the reel of stamps and the feeding device therefor comprises the two supporting plates 8 and 9l which are held in spaced relation by means of suitable bolts 10 passing through intermediate sleeves 11. Journaled in projecting lugs 12 on the frame members 8 and 9 isa roller 13 on which is to be mounted a roll of stamps connected together at their ends and adapted to be fed over the feeding device, which consists of a roller 14, preferably formed of wood, and provided with a central axle 15 journaled in the frame inembers 8 and 9. The roller 14 is provided with suitable pins 16 arranged in series and projecting from the periphery of the roller 111 a distance slighly greater than the thickness of the stamp, said series of pins being Y disposed at substantially the distance apart represented by the length of a postage stamp. Secured to the aXle 15 is a ratchet wheel 17, and connected to the frame member 8 is a spring pawl '18 which engages the ratchet 17 to prevent retrograde movement of the roller 14. Connected to the shaft 15 is a clutch ymember 19 and mounted loosely upon the shaft 15 is a similar clutch member 20, said clutch member carrying a pinion 21. A spring 22 surrounds the shaft 15 and normally holds the clutch member V20 into engagement with the clutch member 19,

said spring bearing at its outer end against erally extending member 28 and connected to the member 28 is a rack bar 29, pivoted at 30, to said member 2S. r1`he lower end of the rack bar 29 is beveled, as at 31, to engage a cam 32 when in its lowermost position, said cam serving to disengage the teeth of the rack bar 29 from the teeth of the pinion 21 to permit the spring 22 to withdraw the. clutch member 20 from engagement with the member 19, so that during the upward stroke of the rack bar 29 the feeding-troll 14 will not be rotated. A spiral spring 33 is connected at one end to the rack bar 29 and its opposite end is connected to the frame for holding the rack 29 yieldingly against the pinion 21. The plate 25 is provided with a thin project-ing portion 34 which extends over t-he top plate 35 of the casing. rlhe top plate 35 is provided with a series of slots 3G in line with the feeding pins 16 of the roller 14, said top plate being cut away upon its under surface, as at 37, to accommodate the periphery of the roller 14. An adjust-ing screw 38 extends through the end of the supporting plate 25, said adjusting screw being mounted in a threaded lug 39 connected to the casing.

A stamp aifixing element 39 is pivoted at 40 to the top plate 35, said stamp afxing element having a rubber pad 41 secured to the underside of its outer end. A spring 42 normally raises the stamp afIiXer. On the end of the lever 27 is a grooved finger hold 43 to accommodate the fingers of the hand of the operator, and upon the lower side of the lever is a hammer head 44, which is adapted to come into contact with the top of the stamp aflixer for depressing' the same and applying the stamp to the envelop or mail matter. The stamp moistener comprises a hollow water container 45 having a counterweight 46 within the same. At a point diametrically opposite the counterweight 46 a series of perforations 47 are formed in the wall of the container and leading` from the perforations 47 are grooves 48 which are formed in the outer surface of said container. Fitted around the container 45 is a felt or other absorbent covering 49. The container 49 is provided with trunnions 50 secured to the opposite ends thereof, and said trunnions are mounted in a bearing yoke 51 supported upon the top of the casing. The yoke 51 is provided with bearings for the trunnions 50 and said trunnions are detachably connected to the yoke 51 through the opening 52, thus permitting the container to be removed for refilling with water whenever required. A hole is formed in one end of the container 45 and through this hole the container may be filled and closed by a pivoted cover 53. A suitable lock 54 is connected to the casing for locking the mechanism in position after it has been pushed into the casing. The rack bar 29 eX- tends through a slot 55 in the top of the casing and the stamp is fed through an opening 56 in the edge of the top plate 35 on to a table 57 for supporting the envelop or matter to be stamped. The table 57 has a stop pin 5S to prevent the envelop from passing too far under the stamp alfixer 41.

The operation of my stamp atlixer may be briefiy described as follows: The water container 45 having been filled with water and the pivoted cover 53 swung' over the filling opening the entire container is immersed in water to moisten the felt cover 49. The moistener is then placed in position in the yoke 51 and it will be noted that owing to the counterweight 46 the openings 47, at the top of the moistener, are normally above the water line in the container, so that when the machine is not in operation there is no tendency for the awter to ooze out or leak through the container. A roll of stamps is led from the roller 13 up over the feed roll 14, and the pins 1G engage the perforations between the stamps. Then the first postage stamp is fed immediately under the aflixer 41, the envelop or mail mattei' to be stamped is pushed under the felt cover 49, and by friction said container is rotated until the openings 47 are at the bottom and immediately over the top of the envelop at the corner thereof. The water is fed through the grooves 48 to the cover 49 to meisten a suflicient length of the cover to conform to the size of the stamp. Vhen the envelop has been fed against the stop 58 the lever 27 is depressed by the finger of the operator in the finger hold 43, the hammer head 44 striking the top of the stamp aiiixer for pressing the stamp down on the envelop. During the depression of the lever 27 the feed roll 14 is moved to project a stamp through the aperture 56 and at the end of the downward movement the beveled end 31 of the rack bar 29 engages the cam 32 to disengage the teeth of said rack bar from the pinion 21, thus permit-ting the spring 22 to withdraw the clutch member 2O from the member 19, so that when the rack bar 29 engages the teeth of the pinion 21 during its upward stroke, the feeding roll 14 is not actuated. The pawl 1S serves to prevent the retrograde movement of the roll 14. 1n order to adjust the fulcrum of the lever 27 relatively to the stamp attixer in order that the stamps may be properly registered at each stroke of the aflixer, the set screw 3S is operated. By moving the plate 25 the rack bar 29 is moved relatively to the pinion 21 and hence the stroke of the rack bar is slightly changed, thus giving a slight adjustment to the feeding of the stamps. After the envelop has been withdrawn from underneath the moistener the container 45 immediately assumes the position shown in Fig. 2 with the counterweight at the bottom and the openings 47 at the top, thus preventing leakage of the container.

From the foregoing it Will be obvious that a stamp afflxing machine made in accordance with my invention is, comparatively simple in construction, is reliable and efficient in use, can be adjusted for various sizes of stamps, will not moisten the machine When not in use owing to the countervveighted container and that the machine applies the moisture to the top of the envelop or mail matter, instead of to the stamp, thus simplifying the operation and at the same time rendering the machine more eiicient for its purpose and not liable to accidental adhesion of the stamps.

I claim:

1. In a stamp aiiixing machine the combination of a moistener comprising a hollow cylindrical container provided with a countervveight, said moistener being pivotally mounted on the machine and removable therefrom, an absorbent cover for said moistener, a table or support underneath said moistener Whereby the top of the envelop or piece of mail matter may be moistened as it is fed under the stamp afliXing device, means for feeding a stamp over the top of the envelop or mail matter, and means for severing and aixing the stamp to the moistened portion of said envelop or mail matter.

2. In a stamp afiXing machine, a moistener, a stamp aiixer, a pivoted lever for actuating the stamp aflixer, a rack bar pivoted to the lever, a feed roll for the stamps, a pinion on the shaft of the feed roll to be actuated by the rack bar, means for preventing the retrograde movement of the feed roll, a cam for disconnecting the rack bar from the pinion at the end of its stroke, and a clutch on the shaft of the feed roll.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tvvo Witnesses.

JOHN F. CUMMINGS. Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. BAGLEY, JAMES J MCKENNA.

Copies of this patent may be `obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

